United now allows MileagePlus members to purchase an annual subscription for Economy Plus seating. In exchange for a one-time annual fee, flyers can select Economy Plus seating on all eligible flights during their subscriber year at no extra cost.

When selecting a membership option, customers must choose between whether they want an individual membership, a membership that includes travel with one companion or a membership that includes up to eight companions traveling on the same ticketed reservation. There are also three options for covered regions: the continental United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii), all of North and Central America or a global subscription.

Cost of United Economy Plus Subscriptions

Subscriptions start at $599 per year for a single traveler who sticks to the continental U.S.  You’ll pay more if you travel internationally or wish to upgrade a companion traveling with you.

Compare these costs to what you would pay to upgrade to Economy Plus when purchasing a la carte. On short flights, this may only be about $20 each way, meaning you’d need to fly—and pay for an upgrade—frequently in order to break even with the subscription cost. However, on longer, international routes, a la carte can be substantial. A subscription may pay for itself after just one or two round-trip flights.

If you are going to buy a subscription, upgrading to more expansive regions can be a good deal, as long as you expect to fly to those areas. Note that the cost to upgrade from a membership covering the contiguous U.S. to all of North and Central America (including Alaska, Hawaii and the Caribbean) only adds $100 to the annual fee, regardless of the number of travelers covered. Upgrading further to a Global subscription is $100 more than a North and Central America pass, or $200 more than a base membership.

Before choosing a subscription with a companion, it’s important to understand who’s eligible. You can upgrade anyone traveling with you on the same ticketed reservation, but companions booked separately are not eligible for a complimentary Economy Plus seat. Furthermore, the companions won’t have access to free Economy Plus when traveling without you: For that, they’d need either their own individual subscription or could select seats with a one-time fee.